On The Origin Of The Home Of COVID-19 - 16

"V" for Prophages

I. Retro

I have pointed out in previous posts of this series, in various ways, that meat, eggs, and offal transport microbes and viruses (On The Origin Of The Home Of COVID-19, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).

It has been known in the realms of microbiology and virology for some time that hundreds of species of bacteria inhabit the stomach (rumen) of animals that become food on our tables at meal time, or in Big Macs and Whoppers.

Not to mention the food on our plates at restaurants.

This has caused serious concern to some international entities:

[in the rumen]"Bacteria... (> 200 species) ..." (p. 11)
...
"Both human health and disease are often linked to ruminant animals: health through the nutritive value of meat and dairy products, and disease predominantly through the direct spread of zoonotic organisms or the contamination of food and the environment with manure. Worldwide the meat industry has found itself in the midst of controversy over a number of large-scale food-borne contamination incidents. These include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), E. coli O157:H7 infection, Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 with multiple antibiotic resistance, and chemical residues, which have led to the perception that meat, is not always a 'safe' product."
...
"The animal industry not only produces meat but is also the source of manure and waste effluent which are used as fertiliser. Manure and effluent are potential sources of contamination by enteric pathogens to crops (both for animal and human consumption) and waterways (Wallace, 1999; McQuigge et al., 2000). The upsurge in organic farming with increased use of manure could be a source of increased contamination if manure is not properly stored or composted (Himathongkham et al., 1999; Guan and Holley, 2003; Duffy, 2003). It is paradoxical that incidences of food-borne disease are increasing in industrialised countries. The factors involved in this increasing incidence are complex: production and distribution systems for food have changed as well as eating and cooking habits, and there is increased movement of people globally (Altekruse and Swerdlow, 1996; Lederberg, 1997)."
...
"Current intensive animal husbandry practises promote pathogens in the animal populations through contaminated feed (often by rodents or birds), and environmental (soil and water) contamination (Johnston, 1990; McEwan and Fedorka-Cray, 2002). Potential pathways for the spread of these organisms from animals to humans are shown in Figure 2. There is also concern that intensive animal production systems may be contributing to the evolution of antibiotic resistance in human infections through the transmission of resistant gut bacteria and associated genetic elements from animals to humans (Khachatourians, 1998; McEwan and Fedorka-Cray, 2002)." (p. 20)
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"Rumen Bacteriophage diversity: Bacteriophages are abundant (10⁷ – 10⁹ particles per ml) in the rumen ecosystem but the diversity of these viruses is poorly understood as well as their interactions with the other microorganisms in this ecosystem. They appear to influence other microbial population structure and density through bacterial lysis in the rumen as well as being intimately involved in the exchange of genetic information with other microbial populations (Klieve et al., 1991; Klieve and Swain, 1993; Swain et al., 1996; Klieve and Hegarty, 1999). The first comprehensive metagenomic analysis of the bovine rumen virome was reported recently in which 28,000 different viral genotypes were identified (Berg Miller et al., 2012)."
...
"The genotypes belonged to the following Families in descending order of prevalence; Siphoviridae, Myoviridae, Podoviridae, Unclassified, Herpesviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Mimiviridae, Poxviridae, Baculoviridae, Iridoviridae, Polydnaviridae, Adenoviridae, Bicaudaviridae. Prophages dominated lytic phages by 2:1." [Bacteria and archaea serve as natural hosts to these families - in other words bacteria are he natural homes of viruses]
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"The sequence analysis indicated that the phages [viruses] were associated with the main bacterial phyla including Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes thus suggesting a role in shaping these bacterial communities. Rumen phage also influence the efficiency of digestion in the rumen through the spontaneous lysis of bacterial populations by lytic phage which will also influence protein supply to the animal from microbial protein synthesized in the rumen (Swain et al., 1996)." (pp. 27-28)

(COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE MICRO-ORGANISMS AND RUMINANT DIGESTION: STATE OF KNOWLEDGE, TRENDS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS, emphasis added). It is disconcerting that "Unclassified" is the forth most prevalent inhabitant of the rumen of animals that become food in countries around the world.

II. Coronavirus In Food Animals

It has also been know for some time that the coronavirus is rampant in food animals:

"Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) has a major impact on the cattle industry, with economic losses occurring due to morbidity, mortality, treatment and prevention costs, loss of production, and reduced carcass value (1). Infectious agents associated with BRD include viruses [bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1), bovine parainfluenza-3 (PI-3V), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) 1 and 2, bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine adenoviruses (BAdV), bovine coronavirus (BCV)], and bacteria (Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma spp.) (1,2). From the virus standpoint, BCV has received recent attention as BRD continues to be a problem in the industry, despite the presence and widespread use of modified live virus (MLV) and killed BHV-1, BVDV, PI-3V, and BRSV products.
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"Clinicians and diagnosticians are often called upon to examine for agents other than the 4 viruses listed, bacteria, and Mycoplasma spp. Bovine coronavirus (BCV) has been identified in cattle pulled and treated for BRD and/or in healthy cattle in numerous studies in the United States and Canada and in European countries using viral isolations from nasal swabs and serology-detecting seroconversions indicating active infections (3,4,5−12). These cited studies have focused on virus isolations from the nasal cavity for the materials for virus isolation. Bovine coronavirus has also been identified in pneumonic lungs, often in combination with other viruses, bacteria, and/or Mycoplasma spp. (2,13,14). Experimental studies have identified BCV-infected cattle with epithelial lesions in the turbinates, trachea, and lungs as well as with interstitial pneumonia (15)."
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"Previous studies have demonstrated that the presence or absence of various levels of BCV antibodies can be used to predict whether a calf would be treated in the feedlot (9,10). Several studies have indicated that cattle may be shedding BCV in the nasal secretions on arrival at the feedlot (d 0) or perhaps before delivery to the feedlot (6,12). It is therefore important to examine practices in the beef-breeding herd and the immune status of the calves for BCV before their entry into the auction-market system where they might be exposed to cattle that are shedding BCV. The objectives of the present study were to: 1) compare BCV antibody levels in beef calves from different herds in samples collected post-weaning and before commingling with other herds; 2) correlate serum BCV antibodies in fresh calves (ranch-reared, non-commingled) collected before delivery to commercial feedlot with treatment for BRD after arrival at the feedlot; and 3) use virus isolation from nasal swabs and from lungs and serology to determine the dynamics of BCV infection in commingled, mixed-source calves transported to a research feedlot." (The Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, p. 191)
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"Of the 22 calves used as sentinel calves in OSU-1, 9 out of 22 (40.9%) were BCV virus positive in both the nasal swabs and the BAL samples on the day of processing, day 0 (Table I). Calves shedding the virus on day 0 cleared the virus by day 8 as nasal swab and BAL samples were all negative at collection day 8. Convalescent serum was not collected from 2 of the calves as 1 calf died with BRD (#562) and another calf (#544) was removed from the study due to lameness. Fifteen of the remaining 20 sentinel calves (75%) seroconverted. Calves that were shedding BCV at day 0 had BCV antibody levels of 8, 4, or , 4 on day 0, whereas calves with BCV antibody titers of 32 or higher at d 0 did not shed virus during the study, although they often seroconverted. Six sentinel animals remained healthy and seroconverted to BCV."
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"The current study also identified and confirmed that calves com- mingled from mixed sources, from auction-market sources, and from wide geographic regions across the midwestern and south-central US states probably have BCV-active infections upon delivery to the feedlot and are shedding the virus. Similar to those in other studies, the calves in this study cleared the infections by day 8 after arrival. Also similar to other studies, the virus was found in the nasal swabs. In this study, BCV was also recovered in lung samples [bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)], which were collected along with the nasal swabs. While BCV is not unlike other viruses that are shed in the nasal swabs during active infections, the finding of the BCV in the lung-derived samples suggests that BVC probably plays a role in lung lesions such as pneumonias."
...
"Bovine coronavirus (BCV) appears to be an early type of infection among the commingled calves. Calves in 2 different groups in this study identified BCV infections (nasal swab and BAL virus isolations) from sick calves in the first 4 d after arrival, but not from calves from 5 to 14 d after arrival. Another aspect of this study was that BCV was recovered from some healthy calves as well. In addition, active infections for BCV appear quite common as noted by the large number of seroconversions in both sick and healthy animals. It is common to find seroconversions to several bovine viruses among cattle under feedlot conditions as noted for BVDV, PI-3V, and BRSV (20,21)." (p. 197)

(Bovine coronavirus (BCV) infections in transported commingledbeef cattle and sole-source ranch calves, The Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 2011; 75:191–199, emphasis added).

III. All In The Family

The coronavirus "family" is noted in the genomic data of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS coronavirus 2) as has been shown in previous posts in this series.

In other words, the genetic data indicates that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can be found in humans, poulty, swine, and cattle.

It is not at all unusual to find a caronavirus in humans, poulty, swine, and cattle:

"Coronaviruses (CoVs) cause respiratory and gastrointestinal disease in humans, poultry, swine, and cattle."

(Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 26, No. 2, February 2020, p. 255). That is keeping it in the family:

"Coronavirus is the common name for Coronaviridae and Orthocoronavirinae, also called Coronavirinae. Coronaviruses cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, the viruses cause respiratory infections, including the common cold, which are typically mild, though rarer forms such as SARS (including the one causing COVID-19) and MERS can be lethal. Symptoms vary in other species: in chickens, they cause an upper respiratory disease, while in cows and pigs coronaviruses cause diarrhea. There are no vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent or treat human coronavirus infections. They are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a nucleocapsid of helical symmetry. The genome size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 26 to 32 kilobases, among the largest for an RNA virus (second only to a 41-kb nidovirus recently discovered in planaria)."

(Wikipedia, emphasis added). The coronavirus lineage evinces  a lot of changes because of the way they are "made" (the destruction of their natural place inside bacteria when antibiotics and other toxins destroy their "home").

IV. Closing Comments

Look through the following appendices (to previous posts in this series) and you will see lists of the lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in animals and humans going back to Coronaviridae (Appendix MT276327 A, Appendix MN997409 C, Appendix AN-1-99).

Remember to be careful when a friend or colleague tells you, as you are driving down a road after a hurricane, "that sign we just passed that said 'bridge out ahead' is not proof that the bridge ahead is really out".

There are different kinds of proof (I like to tell some of my lawyer friends that "proof" is something the jury provides ... all we can provide is "evidence").

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

Economic War Of The Pacific - 7

Who knew?

One president ago I began to talk about an economic war that was "brewing" (Economic War Of The Pacific, 2009).

The backdrop of that alleged economic war was the "petro dollar" and/or "reserve currency" (First Shots Fired In The Currency Wars, 2, 3, 4; cf. Economic War Of The Pacific, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

The current president is making a mockery of US foreign relations and economic policies which fits in with the coming demise of the dollar as the "petro dollar" or "reserve currency" (Trump’s Economic Message Doesn’t Reassure Anyone, New data challenges Trump's economic narrative).

His incompetence, dishonesty, cluelessness, child abuse, and strange bedfellow politics lend a hand to those who want their nation's currency to become the world currency by replacing the US dollar (Phase Two of the Currency Wars?, Phase Three Of The Currency Wars?, Phase Four Of The Currency Wars?).

The previous post in this series is here.

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First Shots Fired In The Currency Wars - 3

Fig 1  Trends In Sync

Since 2009 this series, in addition to discussing the history of the "petrodollar," has also considered the future of the U.S. version of the petrodollar (First Shots Fired In The Currency Wars - 2).

It is not surprising that the world's petrodollar, historically, has been the U.S. Dollar ... primarily or in significant part because of the reputation of the U.S.A. in the world community.

A Gallup poll, then, is an indicator that the petrodollar situation is in flux:

"One year into Donald Trump's presidency, the image of U.S. leadership is weaker worldwide than it was under his two predecessors. Median approval

Fig. 2 Trends in Sync

of U.S. leadership across 134 countries and areas stands at a new low of 30%, according to a new Gallup report.

The most recent approval rating, based on Gallup World Poll surveys conducted between March and November last year, is down 18 percentage points from the 48% approval rating in the last year of President Barack Obama's administration, and is four points lower than the previous low of 34% in the last year of President George W. Bush's administration."

(World's Approval of U.S. Leadership Drops to New Low). As goes the reputation so goes the dollar's reputation, and vice versa:

"Just days after China's (denied) threat to slow/stop buying US Treasuries, and just days before the launch of China's petro-yuan futures contract, Germany's central bank confirmed it would include China's Renminbi in its reserves."

(As Petro-Yuan Looms, Bundesbank Adds Renminbi To Currency Reserves). "Make America great again" means something else it would seem.

Incidentally, three petrodollar adversaries ranked top notch in that Gallop Poll, indicating that Trumpism is not working:

"Germany has replaced the U.S. as the top-rated global power in the world. The U.S. is now on nearly even footing with China (31%) and barely more popular than Russia (27%) ..."

(ibid, Gallup Poll). These are sad times for the U.S.A. (whether the 62 some odd million voters who made it so know it or not).

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

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First Shots Fired In The Currency Wars - 2

"Truth is never the fault of the messenger." - Dredd

This series, which began in 2009, is about a little-watched, but incessantly developing,  situation in international monetary dynamics.

One that threatens the economy of the United States.

National debt and taxes are watched closely because they can impact individuals.

The subject of this series is more dangerous than those issues, because it encompasses them and many others.

The subject I am talking about is the "petrodollar."

 Here is a brief historical look at the issue:

"After the collapse of the Bretton Woods gold standard in the early 1970s, the U.S. struck a deal with Saudi Arabia to standardize oil prices in dollar terms. Through this deal, the petrodollar system was born, along with a paradigm shift away from pegged exchanged rates and gold-backed currencies to non-backed, floating rate regimes.

The petrodollar system elevated the U.S. dollar to the world's reserve currency and through this status, the U.S. is able to enjoy persistent trade deficits, and become a global economic hegemony. The petrodollar system also provides the United States’ financial markets with a source of liquidity and foreign capital inflows through petrodollar "recycling."
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Faced with mounting inflation, debt from the Vietnam War, profligate domestic spending habits and a persistent balance of payments deficit , the Nixon administration decided to suddenly (and shockingly) end the convertibility of U.S. dollar into gold. In the wake of this “Nixon Shock,” the world saw the end of the gold era and a free fall of the U.S. dollar amidst soaring inflation. According to, Dr. Bessma Moomani in the article, " GCC Oil Exporters and the Future of the Dollar," through a series of carefully crafted bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia beginning in 1974, the U.S. was able to promote bilateral political and commercial relations, market imported U.S. goods and services, and help recycle Saudi petrodollars ...

Through this framework of economic cooperation, and more importantly, petrodollar recycling, the U.S. managed to influence Saudi Arabia to persuade the other members of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to standardize the sale of oil in dollars. In return for invoicing oil in dollar denominations, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states were able to secure U.S. influence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, along with U.S. military assistance amidst an increasingly worrisome political climate that saw the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, the fall of the Iranian Shah and the Iran-Iraq War. Out of this mutually beneficial agreement, the petrodollar system was born.
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Since the most sought after commodity in the world--oil--is priced in U.S. dollars, the petrodollar ... elevated the greenback as the world's dominant currency. In fact, according to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) triennial survey, 87 percent of all foreign exchanges deals initiated in April 2013, involved the USD on one side. With this status, the U.S. dollar was able to enjoy, what some have asserted to be an "exorbitant privilege" of perpetually financing its current account deficit by issuing dollar denominated assets at very low rates of interest, as well as, becoming a global economic hegemony."

(How Petrodollars Affect The U.S. Dollar, emphasis added). Naturally the competitors and some of the "enemies" of the U.S.A. were not comfortable with this situation which they saw as a disadvantage to them.

Dredd Blog has been concerned about the other side of this coin, which is of course a potential vulnerability (First Shots Fired In The Currency Wars, see also Economic War Of The Pacific - 3, Economic War Of The Pacific - 6).

Recently, we have seen "adjustments" in our relationship with the nation of Saudi Arabia (an original petrodollar player), and in its own traditional way of governing (Congress overrides Obama's veto of 9/11 bill letting families sue Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes, Including Billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal).

In addition to that, increasing attacks are being made on the petrodollar by China, Russia, and other countries:

China will "compel" Saudi Arabia to trade oil in yuan and, when this happens, the rest of the oil market will follow suit and abandon the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency, a leading economist told CNBC on Monday.

Carl Weinberg, chief economist and managing director at High Frequency Economics, said Beijing stands to become the most dominant global player in oil demand since China usurped the U.S. as the "biggest oil importer on the planet."

Saudi Arabia has "to pay attention to this because even as much as one or two years from now, Chinese demand will dwarf U.S. demand," Weinberg said.

"I believe that yuan pricing of oil is coming and as soon as the Saudis move to accept it — as the Chinese will compel them to do — then the rest of the oil market will move along with them."

(China will 'compel' Saudi Arabia to trade oil in yuan — and that's going to affect the US dollar). Other nations have increasingly joined the bandwagon (e.g. Russia, Iran, Venezuela).

Some economists and petrodollar observers are preparing for what they see as the inevitable, and so are the warmongers:

"So… What Would Happen If The Petrodollar System Ended Tomorrow

Allow me to briefly explain the impact that a sudden loss of the petrodollar system would have upon the United States of America.

• Foreign nations would begin sending a flood of U.S. dollars back to the United States in exchange for the new currency needed for oil.

• The Federal Reserve would lose their ability to print more dollars to solve America’s economic problems.

• The Treasury Secretary and the Federal Reserve Chairman would meet to determine the best course of action.

• That action would involve an immediate and dramatic increase in interest rates to reduce America’s money supply.

• Hyperinflation would ensue temporarily while the interest rates took time to take full effect.

• All oil-related prices, including gas prices, would reach outrageous levels.

• Washington would soon realize that the total amount of money in the system would have to be dramatically slashed even further, leading to an even higher increase in interest rates.

• The clueless American public would demand answers. Those on the left would blame the right. The right would blame the left. And both political parties would seek to blame the Federal Reserve.

• People with adjustable rate debts would be crushed and massive layoffs would occur as businesses suffered from the high interest rates.

• Asset prices across the board would plummet in value.

• Amid the financial carnage, an economic recovery eventually would begin to take place. But this new American economy would be tremendously smaller due to a drastically reduced money supply.

This brief scenario is far from exhaustive and is probably very incomplete. But I provide it to help you understand the great economic damage that you and I, and our nation in general, would sustain if the petrodollar system were to collapse suddenly.

The Washington elites are intimately aware of how serious the economic situation could become if the petrodollar system collapsed. After all, they were the architects and masterminds of the entire system. And if one considers Washington’s policies since the mid-1970’s, it is evident that they have no intention of allowing the petrodollar system to fail. "

(Follow The Money, emphasis added). That means war (Is War An Art or Is War A Disease?, 2, 3; War is the Highway 61 of the 1%).

Here are some other related articles (CNBC, The Peak Of The Oil Wars - 12, Iran says ditch the petrodollar, Economics of Petrodollars, Definition of Petrodollars,
Preparing for the Collapse of the Petrodollar System).

So, buckle-up and hunker-down, because the current U.S. government is isolating the U.S. from the rest of the world in many ways.

That error plays into the hands of those seeking to take the petrodollar to new places (As Syria embraces Paris climate deal, it’s the United States against the world).

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

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The Evolution and Extinction of Affordable Insurance - 2

The deniers who are liars are saying that the "Houston we have a problem" syndrome playing out before our very eyes was not foreseeable (Harvey Didn’t Come Out of the Blue).

In the first post of this series we discussed the humanistic concept of insurance, as well as the capitalist, market, or economic concept of insurance.

One is driven by the common good concept, the other is driven by the profit motive (On The Origin of Assholes).

The profit motive won out in the U.S. Plutonomy world (The Homeland: Big Brother Plutonomy, 2, 3, 4, 8), because the common good was eaten alive by an older concept, which, like sovereign immunity (Follow The Immunity - 3), swam across the Atlantic to bring back the good-old-daze  (American Feudalism, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).

Those with competent foresight began to think about Global Warming induced Climate Change as a business risk way back in 1973 (see video below, speaker's first statements).

The previous post in this series is here.

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The Shapeshifters of Bullshitistan - 9

The resting place of corruption fighters

Today's post shares some information about an Oiligarch of Oil-Qaeda.

An Oiligarch who is being courted by a member of The Shapeshifters of Bullshitistan known as "the Leader of the Laundromat."

It begins with the written statement, and expert testimony (see video below, long but worth it) that was quite recently given under oath to the Senate Judicial Committee (for some reason it is not reported on sufficiently in the media yet).

It is testimony (hopefully the good witness lives long!) that finally trumps some of the mystery contained in current media reporting.

That mystery is "why would The Shapeshifters of Bullshitistan lie so much to everybody when there is no 'there' there ?"

Well, as it turns out, there is more there there than previously "imagined":

"Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, and members of the committee, thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify today on the Russian government’s attempts to repeal the Magnitsky Act in Washington in 2016, and the enablers who conducted this campaign in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, by not disclosing their roles as agents for foreign interests.

Before I get into the actions of the agents who conducted the anti-Magnitsky campaign in Washington for the benefit of the Russian state, let me share a bit of background about Sergei Magnitsky and myself."

(The Atlantic, emphasis added). So, this person knows about the Magnitsky Act and that it has nothing to do with adopting Russian children (Russia fumes as U.S. Senate passes measure aimed at human rights).

Well then, let's shock jock ourselves with these tidbits:

"Russia has a well-known reputation for corruption; unfortunately, I discovered that it was far worse than many had thought. While working in Moscow I learned that Russian oligarchs stole from shareholders, which included the fund I advised. Consequently, I had an interest in fighting this endemic corruption, so my firm started doing detailed research on exactly how the oligarchs stole the vast amounts of money that they did. When we were finished with our research we would share it with the domestic and international media.

For a time, this naming and shaming campaign worked remarkably well and led to less corruption and increased share prices in the companies we invested in. Why? Because President Vladimir Putin and I shared the same set of enemies. When Putin was first elected in 2000, he found that the oligarchs had misappropriated much of the president’s power as well. They stole power from him while stealing money from my investors. In Russia, your enemy’s enemy is your friend, and even though I’ve never met Putin, he would often step into my battles with the oligarchs and crack down on them.

That all changed in July 2003, when Putin arrested Russia’s biggest oligarch and richest man, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Putin grabbed Khodorkovsky off his private jet, took him back to Moscow, put him on trial, and allowed television cameras to film Khodorkovsky sitting in a cage right in the middle of the courtroom. That image was extremely powerful, because none of the other oligarchs wanted to be in the same position. After Khodorkovsky’s conviction, the other oligarchs went to Putin and asked him what they needed to do to avoid sitting in the same cage as Khodorkovsky. From what followed, it appeared that Putin’s answer was, “Fifty percent.” He wasn’t saying 50 percent for the Russian government or the presidential administration of Russia, but 50 percent for Vladimir Putin personally. From that moment on, Putin became the biggest oligarch in Russia and the richest man in the world, and my anti-corruption activities would no longer be tolerated."

(ibid, The Atlantic, emphasis added). So, the act was about seizing billions of dollars hidden in banks in "the West," rather than Putin's concern for children.

The richest man in the world would likely reward anyone who could lift the sanctions that now have his money on ice:

"For two reasons. First, since 2012 it’s emerged that Vladimir Putin was a beneficiary of the stolen $230 million that Sergei Magnitsky exposed. Recent revelations from the Panama Papers have shown that Putin’s closest childhood friend, Sergei Roldugin, a famous cellist, received $2 billion of funds from Russian oligarchs and the Russian state. It’s commonly understood that Mr. Roldugin received this money as an agent of Vladimir Putin. Information from the Panama Papers also links some money from the crime that Sergei Magnitsky discovered and exposed to Sergei Roldugin. Based on the language of the Magnitsky Act, this would make Putin personally subject to Magnitsky sanctions.

This is particularly worrying for Putin, because he is one of the richest men in the world. I estimate that he has accumulated $200 billion of ill-gotten gains from these types of operations over his 17 years in power. He keeps his money in the West and all of his money in the West is potentially exposed to asset freezes and confiscation. Therefore, he has a significant and very personal interest in finding a way to get rid of the Magnitsky sanctions."

(ibid). Wow, that is a few billion reasons for helping Putin get his money back, eh?

"A little" shape shifting, "a little" bullshitting, and ... viola ... back in the black for The Shapeshifters of Bullshitistan.

Is the deadly game going to go all bullshit on steroids and perhaps bigly violent, now that The Don has blown his cover and the U.S. Congress is adding even more sanctions?

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

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Ode to the sycophants (R-RU) in our midst:

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Dress Codes: Language As A Clothing Metaphor

Fig. 1 "Your mother wears combat boots clothing."

Is "talk" cheap because it is a luxury, or is it costly ("words matter") because it is a necessity?

At least one observer indicates that luxury is cheaper than necessity in some scenarios:

Sociologist Joseph Cohen of Queens University is fond of saying that “America is a place where luxuries are cheap and necessities costly.”

A recent chart from economist Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, illustrates this well. Since 1996, the prices of food and housing have increased by close to 60 percent, faster than the pace of inflation. Costs of health care and child care have more than doubled. The prices of textbooks and higher education nearly tripled.
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In the case of higher education, the nation’s massive student loan industry bears much of the upfront burden of rising prices. To the typical 18-year-old, a $120,000 tuition bill may seem like an abstraction when you don’t have to start paying it off until your mid-20s or later. As a result, the nation’s college students and graduates now collectively owe upward of $1.3 trillion in student loan debt.

(The stuff we need ... and the other stuff). Down through time clothing and even fruit have been metaphors for behavior (e.g. "wolf in sheep's clothing" and "by their fruits shall ye know them").

Clothing still is metaphorical, in the sense and to the extent that behavior defines us:

Today, we design and define ourselves through clothing more than through any other device. Clothing originally evolved to provide protection and warmth. For centuries, it has also reflected gender, age, cultural identity, and class differences—visually distinguishing the ruling, powerful, and wealthy from everyone else. In the contemporary world of customization, mass production, and globalization—with information disseminated at a rate never before experienced— we can choose from myriad styles and types of clothing to alter how we are perceived and identified.

Since the 1990s, a growing number of international artists have been using apparel as a metaphor for shared, as well as personal, concerns.

(Dress Codes: Clothing as Metaphor, PDF; in other words: Dress Codes: Clothing as Metaphor). On another hand, "clothes don't make the man" and "you can't tell a book by its cover" allege that there are holes in our ability to discern the depths when we merely observing the shallows.

Moving along, one can ask or wonder: "if all of this applies to groups, nations, organizations, or cultures, what would that look like?"

The graphic in Fig. 1 indicates that some clothing is sufficiently revealing to in fact "tell the book by its cover," or "know the man by his clothing," at least in the sense of groups within a society (e.g. "hawks" vs. "doves").

So, you may be wondering what this has to do with "language" being as much of a revelatory indicator as "clothing" can be.

Can language reveal aspects of "the book" or of "the man" who is "wearing" that language?

Ok, fair enough ... as a simple exercise let's investigate cultures that use the word "slay".

But first let's investigate the word's traditional meaning:

slay [sley];  verb (used with object), slew, slain, slaying.

1. to kill by violence.
2. to destroy; extinguish.

(Dictionary). Synonyms usually help with the investigation into the meaning of a word:

Synonyms for slay: kill, assassinate, butcher, destroy, dispatch, execute, exterminate, massacre, murder, slaughter, annihilate, do, down, eliminate, erase, finish, hit, liquidate, neutralize, snuff, waste, cut off, do away with, do in, knock off, put away, rub out ...

(Thesaurus). So, what do we make of it when this word, which describes the most heinous of activity, is used casually by groups within a culture, or even when it is used by whole cultures?

First notice this:

Did you watch the Billboard Music Awards last night and follow along on Twitter or Facebook? Or maybe you skipped it and are just catching up on all of the headlines…

One thing is for sure, there were a lot of females “slaying” last night.

I am over it with this word, especially since it’s now used to describe outfits or performances that are only moderately good. It’s completely lost it’s meaning because it’s been so over used!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t “slay” supposed to be reserved for something that is out of this world, over the top, spectacular, cream of the crop, best of the best, most amazing ever, killed it, nailed it, WOW, and holy sh*t that was amazing? Because if you followed Twitter last night, just about every performance was the best thing ever of all time.. Even the ones that were just OK.

(CBS Local News, emphasis added). The commentator was not complaining that the use of the word "slay" in that context represents a watering down of the worst of human behavior (which is human crime).

Instead, the commentator was complaining that "slay" was being used to describe only mediocre performances (the commentator's argument was that "slay" should be reserved for the best human performances).

Perhaps that commentator was a graduate of some astute institutions within our slaying culture (Is War An Art or Is War A Disease?, 2) ?

Or, perhaps just a commentator who wakes up to the lyrics of a "killer" song:

And you killed it, you killed it
You killed it with I love you
And you killed it, you killed it
You killed it with I love you
And you killed with I love you
What am I supposed to say back to you?
You killed it with I love you
(U Killed It). The message subtly broadcast by those who create travesties of art, subversions of language, who extinguish reason, and/or who disable socially mature cultures, is the message that barbaric linguistic behavior is nothing more than fancy clothing.

And this is being done against the backdrop of our culture.

A culture which has been counseled from the beginning to avoid this state of mind, or maybe better said as this mind of state:

Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied: and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals, engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. Those truths are well established.

(The Greatest Source Of Power Toxins?). The warmonger depicted in Fig. 1 was telling the truth when it said to the president: "it's us or them."

It is getting to be all "US" without "THEM," because "US" is slaying, "US" is killing "THEM" softly with those "US" words.

Anyway, getting back to the words that work, listen to a former Secretary of the Treasury talk with sober words about work clothing:

On the basis of these factors, I expect that more than one-third of all men between 25 and 54 will be out work at mid-century. Very likely more than half of men will experience a year of non-work at least one year out of every five. This would be in the range of the rate of non-work for high school drop-outs and exceeds the rate of non-work for African Americans today.

Will we be able to support these people and a growing retired share of the population? What will this mean for the American family? For prevailing ethics of self-reliance? For alienation and support for toxic populism? These are vital questions. Even more vital is the question of what is to be done.

These questions should preoccupy social science researchers. They are vital to our future.

(A disaster is looming for American men). The bill for wising "US" up will slay "THEM" who are "killing it" :

The Fed asked respondents how they would pay for a $400 emergency. The answer: 47 percent of respondents said that either they would cover the expense by borrowing or selling something, or they would not be able to come up with the $400 at all. Four hundred dollars! Who knew?

(The Atlantic). What the cavalier attitude about barbarianism subconsciously encourages is the spread of a social barbarianism which will slay our society by killing its middle class.

Resist.

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Really Roberta, softly?

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The Evolution and Extinction of Affordable Insurance

I. Background

The word "catastrophe" has both individual or local scope as well as having widespread scope: "any misfortune, mishap, or failure; fiasco; a sudden and widespread disaster" - (Dictionary).

The Damaged Global Climate System is a catastrophe (The Damaged Global Climate System, 2, 3, 4, 5).

A global catastrophe that is giving rise to endless offspring: local weather catastrophes (All Weather Is Local - 2).

The individual or family who loses all their material goods they have, from clothing, cars, home, or worse -their lives, suffers a catastrophe.

So do those engulfed in a widespread destruction brought on by a Katrina or a Sandy.

II. Traditional Insurance Remedy

Civilization has developed a technique we call "insurance" that can mitigate the impact on those who suffer a personal catastrophe, and who have insurance:

Benjamin Franklin founded America’s oldest, continuously active insurance company in 1752. Franklin and several prominent business associates established the Philadelphia Contributorship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. The Contributorship, as is now its common reference, was a proactive insurance carrier refusing to provide coverage to houses and other structures that were not constructed according to strict building standards. During the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777, the Contributorship hired a chimney sweep to maintain the chimneys of insured houses that were still occupied by the insureds.

Lloyd’s of London had its start in a coffee shop. Although the first informal gatherings of shippers and investors around 1688 were not intended to produce an insurance mechanism, Edward Lloyd’s coffeehouse on London’s Tower Street witnessed the first days of what was to become the world’s best known insurance underwriting society. Financial protection contracts initially emanating from Lloyd’s coffeehouse were dedicated to ships and their cargo.

(Insurance Journal, emphasis added). The embryonic intentions of the concept of insurance was based on a community "good Samaritan" spirit of "let's all chip in a little to help a lot, those in great need and distress."

The good intention of the insurance concept is not immune from financial catastrophe itself:

The theoretical foundation of ruin theory, known as the Cramér–Lundberg model (or classical compound-Poisson risk model, classical risk process or Poisson risk process) was introduced in 1903 by the Swedish actuary Filip Lundberg.Lundberg's work was republished in the 1930s by Harald Cramér.

The model describes an insurance company who experiences two opposing cash flows: incoming cash premiums and outgoing claims. Premiums arrive a constant rate c > 0 from customers and claims arrive according to a Poisson process with intensity λ and are independent and identically distributed non-negative random variables with distribution F and mean μ (they form a compound Poisson process) ... The central object of the model is to investigate the probability that the insurer's surplus level eventually falls below zero (making the firm bankrupt).

(Ruin Theory, emphasis added). Like any business or household for that matter, income and outgo must at least be equal for the venture to be economically viable.

In an undamaged climate system that is plausible, but as The Damaged Global Climate System overpopulates the globe with catastrophes, the picture gets more and more iffy.

This is not local to any one country or company, so a more comprehensive remedy was developed.

III. The 'Russian Doll' Layers Around Insurance

Thus, there are international "reinsurance companies" that provide insurance to insurance companies:

Mission & Vision

Geoscientists at Munich Re have been analysing the effects of climate change on the insurance industry ... a risk of change has resulted in the portfolios of Munich Re and its clients ... we have developed a comprehensive strategy whereby we identify and assess the risks and reflect them in our business processes ... Our mission describes how we identify and address the changes resulting from climate change. It also underlines our resolve to treat the challenges and opportunities arising from climate change as a long-term, strategic topic.

Mission

The vision outlines our responses as a leading reinsurer to the challenges thrown up by climate change. We believe it is important to place a strong emphasis on managing climate change, rather than simply responding passively to it.

Munich Re continuously adjusts its business model to new risks based on the latest scientific findings on climate change.

Climate change is changing our world for ever. Only if we manage to anticipate these changes appropriately, and align our business model correctly to the changing world around us, will we be able to deal effectively with the risks from climate change ...

Vision

For that reason, we do not want to concern ourselves solely with risks that are already well known today. Instead, alongside natural climate variations, we integrate anthropogenic climate effects into our business processes on the levels of risk measurement, business development and asset management. We keep a close watch on all of the different fields that are influenced by climate change and that could have a substantial impact on the financial services and insurance industries.

(Munich RE, Climate Change). The climate changes brought about by civilization's damage to the ancient pristine global climate system are a growing threat to the insurance industry, in all of its layered manifestations:

... there is evidence that, as a result of warming, events associated with severe windstorms, such as thunderstorms, hail and cloudbursts, have become more frequent in parts of the USA, southwest Germany and other regions. The number of very severe tropical cyclones is also increasing. One direct result of warming is an increase in heat waves such as that experienced in Russia this summer. There are also indications of a higher incidence of atmospheric conditions causing air mass formation on the north side of the Alps and low-lying mountain ranges, a phenomenon which can result in floods. Heavy rain and flash floods are affecting not only people living close to rivers but also those who live well away from traditionally flood-prone areas. Although climate change can no longer be halted, even with the help of very ambitious schemes, it can still be curbed.

(Munich RE, Press release). Now, a few years later, some of the institutions of civilization that provide mitigation in local and widespread catastrophe scenarios are facing catastrophe themselves:

"They lose sleep every time it rains really hard because they know they're going to get flooded basements," says Jason Thistlethwaite, a University of Waterloo professor who studies the insurance industry, about people in the business.

Thistlethwaite says the same thing happened when the news of the damage in Fort McMurray, Alta., came through, "as soon as they heard that 1,600 structures number."

With all those buildings burned, what the insurance industry expects to be Canada's most costly natural disaster is going to affect Canadians, and not just in higher rates.

(CBC). These threats are real and present dangers in more ways than one:

"The surge that's scheduled to hit the American coastline Wednesday isn't coming from a hurricane, but it could still leave a feeling of helplessness in its wake.

Flood insurance rates are set to skyrocket when a new bill goes into effect on April 1. Known as the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (HFIAA), it's going to drive the prices of flood insurance plans through the roof for residents of all U.S. coastlines.

How much could they increase? In some areas where flood maps show maximum risk, premiums that were previously $500 could be raised to as much as $20,000 a year or more, according to estimates released in 2013.

"My insurance is more than my mortgage," said Nancy Loft-Powers, a resident of Deerfield Beach, Florida, who told the Washington Post that her premium will be raised from the $7,500 she already pays annually. "I live by the beach in an old neighborhood. I pay [too much] insurance for a crap house that’s not great." (Flood Insurance Rates To Increase, emphasis added)

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"McLaughlins’ flood insurance renewal came with a whopping rate hike of $21,000. McLaughlin said he’s convinced FEMA intentionally kept consumers and real estate and mortgage companies in the dark about the rate increases.

The astronomical increase also took McLaughlin’s mortgage holder by surprise. An oversight of this magnitude tends to expose lenders to more risk because homeowners likely can’t afford to pay for the new policies." ($24,000 Insurance Policy, emphasis added).

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"Congress ordered a rate increase because the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency is $24 billion in debt. It reached that historic amount because revenue from the discounted premiums could not cover payments on flood claims, particularly after two devastating hurricanes, Katrina and Sandy, on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
...
Rising sea levels from climate change make coastal living even more dangerous, conservationists say. And the flood-insurance program that went into the red paying flood claims is deep in debt to a U.S. treasury funded by taxpayers, advocates say." (Rising Waters, Flood Debt, emphasis added)

(You Are Here - 5). You may have thought that because you are inland the sea level rise problem would not impact you.

IV. The Final Russian Doll Is The Taxpayer

One day climate change deniers will wonder why they have to pay for something that is merely a hoax: "the flood-insurance program that went into the red paying flood claims is deep in debt to a U.S. treasury funded by taxpayers" (last quote Section III, emphasis added).

Perhaps they will become open to making a Russian Doll out of those causing this "hoax" which is taxing their wallet or purse (Oilfluenza, Affluenza, and Disgorgement).

V. It Will Get Worse

Some scientists think that the relocation of ice sheets into the oceans and the subsequent relocation of the ice sheet melt water to new locations around the world can become a trigger for some earthquakes and volcano eruptions (Is A New Age Of Pressure Upon Us?, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Currently 40 volcanoes are erupting (Volcanoes Erupting).

The earthquakes can cause tsunamis which lead to insurance hell (Fukushima fuel cores have ‘molten-through’ containment vessels — Location of molten fuels is unknown).

A hell which has to be blamed on God in cases where "an act of God" is not included in insurance policies (Act of God) because it is "Deigenic climate change" (Weekend Rebel Science Excursion - 39).

In any event, the direction this is headed is toward the extinction of insurance as we know it; simply because it can overwhelm remedies that were designed in a past age which had an undamaged global climate system (Groundhog Day & The Climate of Fear).

VI. Conclusion

We simply have to leave Oil-Qaeda's drugs in the ground (Hypersensitive Exxon bans Guardian from AGM).

But we won't (The Extinction of Robust Sea Ports - 6).

We have overdosed on hopium as a treatment for Oilfluenza.

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A highway is already where it ends, and where it begins.

Lyrics here.

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The Extinction of Robust Sea Ports - 2

Fig. 1 Largest Cargo Ship

I. Background

When I write about endangered infrastructure going extinct it rankles those who like to hear about endangered species (The Extinction of Robust Sea Ports).

It does not bother them that living things die as much as it bothers them that non-living things they have built are going to be destroyed.

Fig. 2 Endangered Ports - Iceland

Fig. 3 Endangered Ports - Australia

Some of their retorts are of this sort: "no one knows the future so stuff it."

Fig. 4 Endangered Ports - Greenland

Then they turn around and tell me the future by saying "these ports will be fine forever because we can adapt.'

Those tricksters are in effect claiming to be the only ones who know the future.

They intend for us to swallow the notion that their version of the future can be known by them, but no one else can know the future.

So, when you hear "no one knows the future" remember that they are actually saying "no one knows the future except us."

Like all of their other imperialistic cognition, they want to invade and capture all concepts of the future (along with everything else).

The way they do this is by ignoring the abundant evidence suggesting their unavoidable demise.

II. The Basis of Future Projections

The scientific way to project the future is to create evidence by analyzing previous behavioral events along with the results and consequences of that behavior.

Next in the process is to deduce that behavior "x" produced results "y" ... therefore, the future manifestation of behavior "x" will also produce results "y".

As a matter of fact, the inverse of that (doing the same thing expecting different results) is a known pattern of insanity ("Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein).

So, there is the evidence based view of the future, and there is the fictional, wishful thinking view of the future.

The basis I use is: if you do "x" behavior a week from now it will produce "y" results just like it did a week ago.

Their approach is no one knows the future, so you don't really know that doing "x" next week will produce "y" results.

III. Why Robust Seaports Will Become Extinct

Sea level rise is anomalous in this the Anthropocene, as shown in Dr. Mitrovica's presentation, the first video below.

Sea level was stable in the Late Holocene:

We present estimates for late Holocene relative sea level change along the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy based on morphological characteristics of eight submerged Roman fish tanks (piscinae) constructed between the 1st century B.C. and the 2nd century A.D. Underwater geomorphological features and archaeological remains related to past sea level have been measured and corrected using recorded tidal values. We conclude that local sea level during the Roman period did not exceed 58 ± 5 cm below the present sea level. These results broadly agree with previous observations in the region but contrast with recent analysis that suggests a significantly larger sea level rise during the last 2000 years. Using a glacial isostatic adjustment model, we explain how regional sea level change departs from the eustatic component. Our calculation of relative sea level during the Roman period provides a reference for isolating the long-wavelength contribution to sea level change from secular sea level rise. Precise determination of sea level rise in the study area improves our understanding of secular, instrumentally observed, variations across the Mediterranean.

(Late Holocene Sea Level, Evelpidou, Pirazzoli, Vassilopoulos, Spada, Ruggieri, and Tomasin (2012), emphasis added; cf. Sea Level in Roman Times, PDF).  The second video below (Admiral David Tilley) alludes to the importance of sea level to sea ports (cf. Has The Navy Fallen For The Greatest Hoax?).

In Roman times, the fish were collected by the 1% in structures made of concrete and/or stone so as to keep live fish collected for their meals.

Those structures were constructed exactly at sea level so that at high tide the water would be refreshed, but the fish could not swim out.

These structures are now under water, because sea level has risen.

More importantly in the context of today's post, the sea port infrastructure constructed at those sea levels (e.g. for Roman Galleons), are likewise under water for the same reason.

Those facilities and infrastructure are now extinct, like the Roman Colosseum.

IV. Conclusion

Sea ports today face the same fate as the Roman Infrastructure, because sea level change is accelerating at a rate that is beyond the ability of official public works processes to keep up with (see e.g. Weekend Rebel Science Excursion - 44).

It is also now well known that at some sea ports the sea level will fall, while at other sea ports the sea level will rise (see e.g. Peak Sea Level - 2).

To top it off, the rise and fall will subsist and continue unabated for a century or more (Groundhog Day & The Climate of Fear).

Continuing behavior "x" (burning fossil fuels) will continue to cause result "y" (sea level change), and any belief to the contrary is insane (Will This Float Your Boat - 9).

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

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Harvard Professor Mitrovica quote @05:50: "Sceptics say 2mm yr sea level rise is not anomalous ... this is by far the easiest to repudiate ... "

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Admiral Titley (2010) quote @ ~04:50: "I have had senior level people come up to me and ask 'hey Titley, why does the Navy care about sea level rise?' ... its like, well we're the Navy and we tend to build our bases at sea level ... that's where you put ships.":

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The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Sea Level Rise (SLR)

Ports, SLR and the TPP

I haven't read anything concerning the TPP that mentions SLR in what I consider to be a meaningful way (Everything you need to know about the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)).

The map to the left shows the sea lanes from the West Coast to pacific trading partners.

Some of those nations have negative bottom lines, such as Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, and Canada (5 nations @ $1.4 trillion), but others have positive bottom lines, such as Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, and Chile (6 nations, $142.5 billion).

My purpose, today, is not to discuss the good or bad financial dynamics in the context of the TPP.

Dynamics that could end up to be either a profitable or non-profitable exercise (Economic War Of The Pacific, 2, 3, 4, 5; cf. "the text of the TPP agreement remains classified information").

Instead, since I have discussed SLR mainly in the context of its impact on the East Coast from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, today I want to discuss, for the most part, the impact SLR will have on the ports of those nations.

It is a fact that SLR is involved in the contemplated international ocean-based commerce and intercourse whether they discuss the issue or not.

Some discussion of the San Francisco Bay and port area (the U.S. side of the coin), in the context of Pacific Ocean SLR has been posted:

2.4 Resources Threatened by Sea Level Rise

In any given area, rising seas pose a threat to many different types of resources. Among the vulnerable coastal systems are transportation facilities such as roadways, airports, bridges, and mass transit systems; electric utility systems and power plants; stormwater systems and wastewater treatment plants and outfalls; groundwater aquifers; wetlands and fisheries; and many other human and natural systems from homes to schools, hospitals, and industry. Any impacts on resources within the affected area may lead to secondary impacts elsewhere.
...
3,2 ... Facilities At Risk [@ 1 m/3 ft. SLR]

Schools ... 60 ... Healthcare facilities ... 29 ... Fire stations ... 10 ... Police stations ... 8 ... hazardous material sites ... 208 ... buildings ... 49,000 ... lives ... 220,000

3.4.2 Ports
...
Our assessment of future flood risk with sea level rise shows significant flooding is possible at the Port of Oakland. The San Francisco and Oakland airports are also vulnerable to flooding with sea level rise. In addition to directly affecting port operations, sea level rise may cause other interruptions to goods movement at ports. Sea level rise can reduce bridge clearance, thereby reducing the size of ships able to pass or restricting their movements to times of low tide. Higher seas may cause ships to sit higher in the water, possibly resulting in less efficient port operations (National Research Council 1987). These impacts are highly site specific, and somewhat speculative, requiring detailed local study. We also note the connection between possible direct impacts of sea level rise on the ports themselves and possible flooding of transportation (rail and road) corridors to and from the ports.
...
4.1 Conclusions

Rising sea levels will be among the most significant impacts of climate change ...

We estimate that sea level rise will put 220,000 [people at risk] ... with a 1.0 m ... rise in sea levels ... A wide range of critical infrastructure, such as roads, hospitals, schools, emergency facilities, wastewater treatment plants, power plants, and wetlands is also vulnerable. In addition ... property is at risk ... with a 1.0 ... m rise in sea levels ...

(The Evolution of Models - 5, emphasis added; cf. this). Let that be an example, in terms of SLR, of the difficulties all of the following ports are facing.

The countries and ports at issue in the TPP, in alphabetical order, are:
  Australia  (106 ports)
(most popular)
Adelaide
Brisbane
Darwin
Fremantle
Geelong
Gladstone
Melbourne
Newcastle
Sydney

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Brunei (1 port) Port of Muara

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Canada  (239 ports) (Pacific ports) Alberni Bella Coola
Chemalmus
Dixon Entrance
Kelsey Bay
Kitimat
Ocean Falls Harbour
Port Hardy
Prince Rupert
Skidegate Landing
Stewart
Tahsis
Vancover Metro
Victoria

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Chile (46 ports) (most popular)
Arica
Iquique
Lirquen
San Antonio
San Vicente
Valparaiso

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Japan (292 ports) (most popular) Chiba
Kashima
Kobe
Mizushima
  Moji
Osaka
Sendai
Tokyo
Yokohama

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Malaysia (25 ports) Bintulu
Dermaga Tanjung Lembung
Johor
Kemaman
Kertih
Kota Kinabalut
Kuantan
Kuching
Kudat
Kunak
Labuan
Lahad Datu
Lumut
Malacca
Miri
Penang
Port Dickson
Port Klang
Sandakan
Sepangar Bay Oil Terminal
Rajang
Sungai Udang
Tanjung Pelepas Tawau
Teluk Ewa Jetty

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Mexico (42 ports) (most popular Pacific ports) Ensenada
Guaymas
  Lazaro Cardenas
Manzanillo
Mazatlan
Port of Veracruz

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New Zealand (25 ports) Akaroa Harbour
Auckland
Bluff
Dunedin
Gisborne
Greymouth
Lyttelton Marsden Point
Napier
Nelson
Onehunga Opua
Otago Picton Taranaki
Taharoa
Tarakohe
Tauranga Te Hapua
Timaru
Wanganui
Wellington
  Westport
Whakaaropai Whangarei 

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Peru (33 ports) (most popular) Callao
Ilo
Iquitos
Matarani
Paita
Salaverry

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Singapore (2 ports) Jurong Singapore

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Vietnam (15 ports) Ba Ngoi
Cai Mep
Cam Pha
Cao Lanh
Cua Cam
Da Nang
Dai Hung
Sa Dec
Hai Phong
Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon
Nha Trang
Phu My
Quang Ninh
Vat Cach

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Have you found any discussion about how those ports are preparing for SLR ("the text of the TPP agreement remains classified information")?

This re-emphasizes the point that governments are not publicly thinking about the SLR that is certainly coming!

Perhaps, because in their sovereign denial they cannot think about it.

Well, perhaps one U.S. Senator knows his stuff, suggesting that we stop building ports at sea level.

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HBO Vice: "Our Rising Oceans", with Dr. Eric Rignot:

2:43 - "One meter [of SLR] would be a global catastrophic event, 3 meters would remap the world as we know it?"

2:50 - "Yes, absolutely."

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